At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead security strategy for real-time payment platforms and mentor junior engineers.
- Company: Join Mastercard, a global leader in secure digital payments.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, health benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on secure financial services in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in information security and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic role with excellent career advancement opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we are helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
Mastercard is seeking a Principal Information Security Engineer to support Mastercard's global Real Time Payments (RTP) platforms. This role is ideal for a security leader who thrives in fast moving, high availability environments and is passionate about building secure, scalable, and resilient payment ecosystems. You will drive the security strategy for RTPI, partnering closely with engineering, product, and global business teams to ensure our real time payment services meet the highest standards of security, compliance, and customer trust. You will influence architecture, guide security-by-design practices, and help shape the future of Mastercard's international payment capabilities.
As a Principal Information Security Engineer supporting Real Time Payments International, you will:
- Leadership & Influence
- Apply deep technical expertise to mentor and develop junior engineers and security practitioners.
- Provide input into performance evaluations for team members and emerging talent.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to engineering and business leaders across RTPI programs.
- Security Architecture & Strategy
- Influence and implement security requirements, standards, and architectural patterns for large scale, real time payment platforms.
- Define platform level security architecture and drive execution of long term security strategy for RTPI.
- Lead threat modelling, risk assessments, and security design reviews for high velocity, high availability systems.
- Engineering & Delivery
- Support the design, testing, and implementation of complex security solutions aligned with regulatory, operational, and customer requirements.
- Identify risks and propose compensating controls tailored to real time transaction flows and cross border payment environments.
- Partner with engineering teams to embed security into CI/CD pipelines, APIs, cloud services, and real time transaction processing components.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain strong relationships with business owners, product teams, engineers, project managers, customers, and senior leadership.
- Translate security concepts into actionable guidance for diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
- Represent Corporate Security in global RTP initiatives, regulatory discussions, and cross functional working groups.
You are an experienced security leader with a passion for enabling secure, real time financial services. You bring:
- Technical & Leadership Experience
- Undergraduate degree preferably in computer science/information security or significant work experience in information security disciplines.
- CISSP/CISM or industry recognised security certification desired.
- Extensive IT experience demonstrating thought leadership and cross functional influence.
- Proven success enabling business outcomes through strong technical decision making.
- Experience leading project teams and collaborating with business partners, vendors, and consulting organisations.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and drive alignment across global teams.
- Security Engineering Expertise
- Strong background in information security engineering, including risk identification and compensating control design.
- Experience adapting security programs such as Zero Trust to evolving technologies and threat landscapes.
- Hands on experience improving security domain areas (e.g., authentication, access control, secure architecture) using metrics and customer feedback.
- Experience supporting or securing Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), particularly within financial services or payment systems, is highly beneficial.
- Risk & Compliance Framework Expertise
- Demonstrated experience working with risk based security and compliance frameworks, including SOC 2, ISAE 3000, PCI DSS, DORA, and the Cyber Risk Institute (CRI) profiles, as well as other relevant regulatory or industry standards.
- Ability to interpret, apply, and operationalise framework requirements within complex, high availability technology environments such as real time payment systems.
- Experience collaborating with audit, compliance, and regulatory teams to ensure alignment between security controls, business processes, and external obligations.
- Proven capability to assess control effectiveness, identify gaps, and drive remediation strategies that balance security, operational efficiency, and business needs.
- Strong understanding of how global regulatory expectations and CRI-aligned frameworks influence security architecture, risk management, and platform design.
Every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security. The successful candidate must:
- Abide by Mastercard's security policies and practices;
- Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of information accessed;
- Report any suspected security violations or breaches;
- Complete all mandatory security training as required.
Principal Information Security Engineer employer: Mastercard, Inc.
Contact Detail:
Mastercard, Inc. Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Information Security Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Attend industry events, webinars, and meetups to connect with professionals in the information security field. Don't be shy—introduce yourself and share your passion for secure payment systems!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects and contributions to security solutions. This is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and make a lasting impression on potential employers.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching Mastercard's security initiatives and recent projects. Tailor your responses to highlight how your experience aligns with their mission of building secure, real-time payment ecosystems.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, you can easily track your application status and stay updated on new opportunities that match your skills.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Information Security Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Principal Information Security Engineer role. Highlight your relevant experience in security architecture and risk management, and show how your skills align with Mastercard's mission of secure digital payments.
Showcase Your Technical Expertise: Don’t hold back on showcasing your technical skills! Mention any certifications like CISSP or CISM, and detail your hands-on experience with security engineering. We want to see how you can influence security strategies in high availability environments.
Communicate Clearly: Your application should reflect your excellent communication skills. Use clear and concise language to explain complex security concepts, as you'll need to translate these ideas for both technical and non-technical audiences at Mastercard.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, you’ll find all the details about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mastercard, Inc.
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge related to information security, especially in the context of real-time payment systems. Be ready to discuss specific security frameworks like SOC 2 or PCI DSS and how they apply to the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Principal Information Security Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and mentor others. Prepare examples of how you've influenced teams or projects in the past, and be ready to discuss your approach to developing junior engineers.
✨Communicate Clearly
You’ll be translating complex security concepts for various audiences. Practice explaining technical ideas in simple terms, as this will show your ability to engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders effectively.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect to face scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills in high-pressure situations. Think about past experiences where you identified risks or implemented security solutions, and be ready to share those stories.